Chamisa orders Masvingo mayor to step down

Published: 11 September 2018 (600 Views)

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has ordered Masvingo Mayor and party official Collin Maboke to step down for allegedly disobeying party instructions in the wake of a bungled mayoral election process which saw the latter rise to become the city's number 1 resident.

According to NewZimbabwe.com, the decision was arrived at during a recent meeting by the party's national leadership.

The opposition party accuses Maboke, a lawyer by profession, of failing to follow party procedures in ascending to the council job.

MDC Masvingo provincial chair, James Gumbi confirmed the development.

Gumbo said that the party leadership felt at a meeting in Harare last week that seven MDC councillors in Masvingo voted along faction lines and Maboke should therefore step down as mayor.

He said Maboke did not have the blessings of the party leadership to occupy the top council post as he never showed any interest for it.

The party had instead nominated Councillor Godfrey Kurauone to take up the job and was hoping he was going to sail through unopposed.

But in a shock turn of events during the swearing in of the new councillors at city chambers last Friday, Maboke was instead nominated and seconded by Zanu-PF councillors to participate in the mayoral race which he went on to win with a popular vote.

Maboke beat Kurauone by seven votes to three.

There are seven MDC councillors and three Zanu-PF councillors in the local authority chambers.

Masvingo Town Clerk, Adolf Gusha said he was yet to receive any formal correspondence from the opposition notifying him of Maboke's purported sacking.

MDC insiders said party chair, Morgen Komichi had communicated to the provincial leadership that the party had resolved that Ward 5 councillor, Daniel Mberikunashe should instead take up the post.

Maboke declined to comment on the matter.

The seven MDC Alliance councillors in the city caused an uproar among party supporters, after electing Zanu-PF councillor, Welington Mahwende as the deputy mayor.